A Simple Gesture
by Maho-chan
Summary: Advice from a magazine leads Tsukushi to try something new and different with Tsukasa and gets her into some curious situations. Will she ever tell him what she really means? Sequel to "A Simple Misunderstanding". UPDATED: Chapter 3
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. :)

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_AN 8/14/07: Here is the first chapter of the sequel to "A Simple Misunderstanding". It is rated M for innuendo and future scenes of romance. _

_Characterizations in this story are based upon the HYD Yomikiri and volume 36 of the manga. The story takes place after Tsukasa has returned from New York for good. There is a small reference to two stories I wrote previously in this chapter._

_Hope you enjoy the first chapter of "A Simple Gesture"! –Maho-chan :)  
_

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**A Simple Gesture**  
**A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction  
By Maho-chan  
**

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**Chapter 1**

"_Tsukushi, LOOK at this!"_

Tsukushi looked up from browsing the job ads in the newspaper as Shigeru elbowed her and pointed at the magazine that lay open in front of her. Glancing down at the popular women's magazine, Tsukushi simultaneously scanned the title that Shigeru read aloud

"_Smoothing over those rough spots! Tips for the bedroom and more!" _

"S-Shigeru!" Tsukushi blushed and stammered, feeling very surprised. She had expected the article to be another piece on how to choose perfectly fitting jeans or five ways to do your makeup in a natural way. She had never expected to be looking at tips about boyfriends and bedrooms. But here she was, staring down at an article that had a famous model looking mischievously out at the reader, surrounded by captions like "What men _really_ want" and "How to drive him crazy".

Tsukushi stared in mute shock as Shigeru peered closer at the magazine and muttered about how this article was very interesting. Trying to appear somewhat interested for the sake of politeness but also wanting to retreat at the same time, Tsukushi scanned the article quickly, hoping Shigeru wouldn't ask her opinion about it. As she glanced over the text, Tsukushi couldn't help but catch descriptions of kissing technique and "hot spots". The phrases she noticed in the section on how to "drive him crazy" were especially embarrassing.

Tsukushi blushed as she fought the urge to cover her face with her hands. Instead she reached out and grabbed her drink as she focused on the view outside the window of Shigeru's bedroom. The information in that article was definitely not for her as Tsukasa was already "crazy" outside of the bedroom and to her chagrin, inside of it too. Would it be wise to encourage him to be crazier?

Blushing as she imagined what he might do if she did as the magazine suggested and "greeted him wearing only her underwear and an apron one night" Tsukushi began to get flushed and overheated. There was no way she was going to do _that! _

Tsukasa sometimes got overexcited when she wore her normal clothes and came over to his house to say "hi". Meeting him in the kitchen while scantily dressed in an apron was too weird of an idea and as dangerous as waving a red piece of cloth in front of a rampaging bull. Imagining Tsukasa as a bull charging her down, Tsukushi choked on her drink and then coughed to clear her throat. Taking another long drink, Tsukushi hoped to hide her blushing face behind the tall glass.

Still trying to regain her composure, Tsukushi was startled when Shigeru announced loudly

"This is perfect! The article is _exactly_ what we need to read."

How was this article exactly what they needed to read? And what was it perfect for? Tsukushi wondered. As far as she knew, Shigeru didn't have a boyfriend. Sakurako was usually indifferent to this kind of advice and Yuki was unattached as well. Glancing at Yuki, Tsukushi was surprised when Yuuki looked up from the manga she was reading and said in a calm, sweet manner, "Shigeru, that article does sound interesting. What does it say?"

Interesting? But it was about bedrooms and boyfriends! How could Yuki say it was interesting in such an innocent way? Hiding behind her drink even more, Tsukushi inwardly groaned as the ever-wicked and super experienced Sakurako chimed in, "I wonder if that magazine came up with anything new."

As Yuki and Sakurako crowded around the table so they could inspect the article in more detail, Tsukushi entertained the idea of getting up and leaving the room. She could pretend she wanted a snack. No, that wouldn't work; Shigeru would just ring for a servant to bring the snack up to them. She could say she had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, that plan would probably fail too as she just went 10 minutes ago. Wracking her brain for ideas, Tsukushi inwardly groaned again as Shigeru called out "Tsukushi, this is good advice! C'mon!"

Good advice? But for her, the bedroom advice really wasn't needed at all. Actually things were fine in that area of her relationship with Tsukasa. If she needed advice, it would be for what happened in between the bedroom stuff, especially the recurring arguments they had lately over why Tsukushi didn't say a certain phrase more often.

Good advice would be telling her how to get her brash, stubborn boyfriend to stop pressing her to say "I love you" every night. They'd had arguments about these words several times in the past but lately they argued about them almost every other day.

Of course she loved him, and she'd said it before. Last week even. Or was it the week before? Anyway, couldn't he just be happy with that? Why did he have to hear it so much? It wasn't that she didn't want say it to him; it was just really hard for her to say…

It always was. Reluctantly Tsukushi huddled with her friends over the magazine, still lost in thought. The words "I love you" had always been really hard for her to say, even though every time she had said that to him she had felt a little giddy and couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement as Tsukasa ardently said it back.

As Shigeru squealed something about cute nighties, Tsukushi was startled out of her reverie. Blushing from the realization that they were now looking at what to _wear_ in the bedroom, Tsukushi stammered and tried to get up. "Um, I need to get…"

She was abruptly cut off as Shigeru hugged her arm and ignoring her words, pointed to a picture and said gleefully "Isn't this is so cute? And so sexy! I like the lace."

Sakurako chimed in "I think the silky one is more my style."

Yuki added "Look at all the little bows on this one!"

As Shigeru hugged her again, Tsukushi realized she was stuck. Feeling defeated, Tsukushi decided playing along might be a faster solution. She nodded absently in reply to their comments as she pretended to examine the contents of the page before her.

A brightly colored caption on the side of the page caught her eye and Tsukushi peered down at it.

Surprisingly this article included recipes, under the caption "men feel cared for when you cook for them". This must be part of the "and more" that the article title had promised, Tsukushi mused. And she agreed with this statement, Tsukasa was always pleased to receive something she made for him. And eating her handiwork together was always so fun. Feeling relieved that there was more to this article than just advice related to making love, and that there was some information that could be of use to her, Tsukushi contemplated a recipe for a chocolate layer cake.

That cake was probably too rich for Tsukasa's tastes and he would make a face if he ate something like that, Tsukushi thought. She searched for another idea. The heart shaped onigiri with little sprinkles of umeboshi seasoning to make them slightly pink were very cute but maybe a little too embarrassing to include in Tsukasa's lunch, she reasoned. The star shaped cookie recipe had promise and she mentally committed it to memory.

Making him a pasta dinner might be nice, she usually made Japanese food for him but she could try something new…

Continuing to glance down the page, Tsukushi let out a little "oh!" under her breath as she found a recipe for coffee cake. Tsukasa would surely like coffee cake given his liking for coffee in general. Peering closer, Tsukushi was dismayed as her friends turned the page and squealed over how cute the bedroom set ups were in the next set of pictures. Tsukushi barely paid attention, still thinking about how she'd have to remember to copy down that coffee cake recipe later. More excited exclamations from her friends brought her attention back to the magazine.

Lots of pages were turned and soon they were reading another article that seemed almost identical to the one they had just looked at. Tsukushi blinked. Was the entire magazine devoted to risqué topics? How many articles were there? And what could this one be about? More lingerie? She sincerely hoped not.

The article was mostly text and as Shigeru read aloud, Tsukushi couldn't help but listen as she glanced out the window again. The article started innocently with a few comments about the difference between men and women and common misunderstandings that happened between them. Tsukushi started to think to herself that maybe this article wasn't so bad.

Most of the information on the next pages was about dating and how to make sure a guy knew you were interested so that he'd call the next day. It proposed that men sometimes lacked the confidence to call. Finding this interesting, Tsukushi read along with the others with growing curiousity. She hadn't realized that men could feel anxious and insecure in relationships too.

Did Tsukasa feel this way sometimes? She had always assumed she was the only one who felt worried and nervous about their relationship. Tsukasa had always seemed so sure of himself, so determined and focused, so it was hard to imagine him feeling anxious. But then again, he did get jealous sometimes, even though he had never had anything to worry about. Occasionally, he misunderstood her motives completely. And lately there was his insistence that she say "I love you" to him more often.

Could all of these situations be signs that he was feeling insecure in their relationship at times? Tsukushi furrowed her brow. This was an important revelation about Tsukasa! It was a whole new way of perceiving him.

Gazing down at the page before her, she lifted one of the corners and turned it, hoping that the next page would hold even more important insights into Tsukasa's feelings. But instead she was confronted with illustrated picture of a nude couple kissing and holding each other with the words "Spice it up for more passion!"

Tsukushi inwardly reeled from the change in topic as Sakurako said knowingly "Now for the really good stuff." Eyes widening, Tsukushi gaped with the rest of her friends at graphs showing hormonal changes in men and women over the course of a month and tables listing what turned men on in comparison to what turned women on. There were pictures of _positions_ on the page after that one. Once again, Tsukushi blushed a deep crimson.

Mou, this was too much!

Shigeru pointed at a table on the next page that showed popular foods to induce a night of passion. "Look, it says chocolate and honey are good for encouraging romance." She said agreeably. Yuki mumbled under her breath as a small secretive smile graced her face "Sojiro brought me chocolate once." Everyone looked up in surprise.

"EH?" Shigeru stared at Yuki as she blushed and concentrated harder on the magazine, trying to cover up her slip of the tongue. Shigeru and Sakurako would have none of it though and in no time they were both were interrogating her.

"You went out on a date with Nishikado-san?" Shigeru asked excitedly as Sakurako leaned forward with an expression of interest. Shigeru also leaned in and said conspiratorially "How was he? Was he good?"

"Shigeru!" Tsukushi exclaimed in shock. "Yuki, you don't have to answer…" she started to say only to be stopped as Yuki blushed and replied wistfully "Yeah."

Tsukushi gaped as Shigeru grinned and patted Yuki's hand. "You'll have to tell us all about it! But first, let's get some more education!" Pointing to the article, Shigeru said excitedly, "This section is really interesting!" then began to read aloud.

"_Ladies, it's important for you to let the man you love know that you are interested in being with him. Even though men love a chase, it's a good idea to chase him back occasionally. Your man can't be confident all the time."_

Yet another insight about men and confidence! Thinking of Tsukasa one more, Tsukushi listened curiously.

"_Sometimes he needs a little reassurance. Let him know that you like him and want him! You can do this in many ways during your dates. Why not try a sweet kiss on the cheek before a hinted invitation to stay over for the night? Also, smiling and touching him often and leaning in a little closer to show how interested you are in him might help. If you have a boyfriend who isn't particularly attuned to subtle signals or you aren't very good at giving signals, you might want to try…"_

Shigeru stopped and all three of them looked pointedly at Tsukushi. "What?" Tsukushi asked, her face turning as red as a tomato. Yuki smiled slightly as Sakurako looked at Shigeru knowingly. Shigeru nodded in acknowledgement of their unspoken agreement that Tsukushi was someone who couldn't give signals very well and that Tsukasa was one of those guys who couldn't read them anyway. Shigeru then continued to read.

"_You might want to try more obvious approaches. How about sending him a naughty text message? Or telling him outright "I want you now!" Even a light pat on the butt can speak volumes!"_

Shigeru sat back and stared at the article, considering these words. "This is important advice." She said quietly. Yuuki nodded in agreement. Sakurako simply looked bored and started filing her nails. Tsukushi's mind reeled. She glanced longingly at her abandoned newspaper. The information in this magazine was becoming too much information for her to deal with right now.

Shigeru turned to Tsukushi and said "Especially for you Tsukushi!" She said cheerfully, pressing the magazine into Tsukushi's hands.

"W-What?" She stammered while trying to push the magazine away.

"You and Tsukasa are always having strange miscommunications! And then you fight about it and we have to watch. I'm tired of watching, I always feel so frustrated." Shigeru declared. "For everyone's sake, it's time for you to try something different with him! No more confusion." Shigeru grabbed Tsukushi's hands and placed the magazine in them. "C'mon Tsukushi, just try something new!" Shigeru said pleadingly. "It can only help. This magazine talks about some interesting things you can do. Personally, I like the apron idea that was mentioned earlier." She continued, winking theatrically as Tsukushi looked shocked.

"So do I." Sakurako said with a wicked smile on her face. Even Yuki nodded in agreement, much to Tsukushi's chagrin.

Tsukushi sputtered "B-but…Domyoji and I don't need this, we are fine!"

Shigeru tilted her head and looked thoughtful. "But didn't you guys get into a huge fight about a month ago before a big party? Sojiro and Akira told me that you didn't speak for an entire night."

"That was just a simple misunderstanding!" Tsukushi said, blushing as she remembered the incident. "Really, we are fine. We don't need this." Tsukushi tried to hand the magazine back to Shigeru. Unfortunately, Shigeru wouldn't accept any of her refusals.

"Well, even if you are getting along, this article has lots of good tips for strengthening your relationship and having fun. And _you know_ what I mean about fun!" Shigeru grinned. "I'm giving you the magazine." She declared. "And now that that is decided, after all this reading and studying, I'm ready to go out and do some shopping!"

Sakurako smiled and said in agreement. "There's a new café in Ginza that we haven't tried yet. Maybe we should go there!"

Shigeru pumped her fist in the air and said excitedly "Let's go have some candy and some parfaits!"

Still holding the magazine, Tsukushi felt bewildered as Yuki said agreeably "That sounds really nice. I'm in the mood for something sweet." As her friends got up to go, Tsukushi stared down at the magazine in her hands before quickly stuffing it into her bag. She appreciated her friends' concern, but really, she and Tsukasa didn't need any of the advice in the magazine. Miscommunications or not, they would be just fine.

She'd take the magazine for now, grab that coffee cake recipe she had wanted from before and then recycle it, Tsukushi decided as she gathered her things.

* * *

Shigeru and Sakurako were shopping machines, Tsukushi thought wearily as she trailed behind them through the large department store. And they had even roped Yuki into the task of selecting shoes from the bevy of new arrivals on the rack. As her friends browsed the displays of shoes, Tsukushi sat down on one of the benches that were provided for trying the shoes on. Waving away a salesperson that approached, and feeling more than a little exhausted, Tsukushi sighed. Looking down at her bag, she saw the magazine peeking out of it and considered reading it to pass the time. But remembering the tidbits about erogenous zones made her think twice. 

Her cell phone suddenly rang.

Tsukushi opened it and tiredly said into the receiver, "Hello?"

"Hey, where are you?" Tsukasa asked, his voice coming through loudly through her phone. Tsukushi tiredly replied "I'm in a shoe store in Ginza with Shigeru, Sakurako and Yuki."

"Wanna go on a date tomorrow night?" Tsukasa queried, as Tsukushi yawned sleepily. "We could have dinner." Tsukasa suggested. Tsukushi looked around her and barely paid attention as she wondered when her friends might be ready to go home.

She loved her friends but sometimes their excursions could be so exhausting. As she watched Yuki twirl in a mirror as she admired the delicate high heels she was trying on, Tsukushi smiled and then brought her attention back to the phone.

"Movie…or we could go for a walk in that shopping center you said that you wanted to go to before…" Tsukasa continued.

Tsukushi wondered what he was talking about. "Hm?" She murmured into the phone as Shigeru waved a pair of shoes at her and mouthed "What do you think?" Tsukushi nodded at her and then jumped as Tsukasa said very loudly "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" Tsukushi answered, suddenly very alert and focused as Tsukasa loudly exclaimed "Makino! Are you going to go on a date with me tomorrow or not?"

Rubbing her forehead and mentally checking her schedule, Tsukushi said quickly "I-I'm free. I'll be there!"

"Good." Tsukasa replied gruffly.

"But what are we going to do?" Tsukushi asked confusedly, realizing that she hadn't paid attention to him at all during that conversation.

Tsukasa said irritably "You weren't paying attention were you? I already told you my ideas. I don't want to say them again so just meet me at my house tomorrow. I'll decide on my own what we will do." The phone clicked in her ear and Tsukushi stared at it strangely. Why was he so annoyed all of a sudden? And why did she have no say in their date tomorrow?

Tsukushi gazed at a distant point, her mind preoccupied with what had just happened. Tsukasa was upset with her because he hadn't liked that she wasn't paying attention when they spoke. But it wasn't as though she was doing it on purpose, she had just been distracted.

But on purpose or not, now there was this tension that she felt inwardly, that something had gone awry in that situation. That tension was growing into real concern and as she played with the strap of her phone she realized that this feeling was somehow similar to past times, as was the tone of Tsukasa's voice and his words.

"_Why did you do this Makino?" Tsukasa had demanded as he wiped the carefully applied make up off of her face with his handkerchief, the ribbons he had pulled from her hair having been carelessly discarded onto the floor._

"_But it's been so long and I want to see you! Hey, are you sure this isn't some kind of excuse? Are you thinking of spending Christmas with Rui?" Tsukasa had said accusingly._

"_Why are you always so stingy about those words? Even though you are my girlfriend, I don't understand you at all." Tsukasa had complained in hurt tones. "Ah, forget it. Just go inside, it's cold out here. I'll call you tomorrow." He had said gruffly before turning and leaving her at her door._

Did they misunderstand each other that much? Surely it couldn't have been that often. Could it?

Looking down at her shoes, Tsukushi frowned. Shigeru's words came back to her

"_You and Tsukasa are always having strange miscommunications!"_

If her friends had noticed, then as much as Tsukushi hated to admit it, this was probably true. They probably did misunderstand each other often. And it was possible that they did it too much. But it didn't mean that they weren't in love or that she wasn't happy.

Remembering Tsukasa's hurt tone of voice, a slow realization of the connection between their miscommunications and the revelation that men could feel insecure began in Tsukushi's mind. If they had miscommunications that caused that Tsukasa to feel hurt or upset, could it be that Tsukasa wasn't as happy as he could be in their relationship?

The idea unnerved her. Her love for him had grown unbelievably in the years they had been together and truth be told, his happiness was as important to her as her own. Imagining Tsukasa feeling hurt as he planned their date tomorrow on his own, Tsukushi felt constricted in her chest. She really cared about that idiot.

But these thoughts didn't solve the problem at hand, the miscommunications and any feelings that Tsukasa might feel as a result of them. And it definitely wasn't stubbornness or a lack of caring that caused her to be this way, Tsukushi mused. It was just that it was so hard to "talk straight" to him.

She hated the feelings that arose when they misunderstood each other. She really did. Trying to distract herself from these morose thoughts, Tsukushi absently dug around in her bag.

But what could she do about it? How could she make things clearer to him? How in the world could she let him know that she really did care?

Her fingers found the magazine that Shigeru had given her and Tsukushi tilted her head as she read the cover to distract herself.

"_Improve your relationship! All your answers found here!"_

The background noise faded away as Tsukushi contemplated this anew. Glancing up at her friends who were still sequestered among several store clerks and boxes of untried shoes, Tsukushi realized that she still had some time to wait. And since she hadn't come up with any answers on her own yet….

Feeling a change of heart from earlier, Tsukushi tugged the magazine out of her bag and began to read in earnest.

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_To be continued…_

AN (8/14/07): Please check my profile page for some updates! –Maho-chan :)


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. :)_

AN: Many thanks to Joanna for beta reading. Hope you enjoy reading the second chapter of "A Simple Gesture". -Maho-chan :)_  
_

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**A Simple Gesture****  
**A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction  
By Maho-chan

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**Chapter 2**

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_Three cups of flour._

_One cup of brown sugar._

_One cup of white sugar._

_Chocolate chips…_

Tsukushi tried to concentrate on the recipe before her, even as her attention wandered back to the magazine that lay open next to the cook book she was reading. The frilly underwear in the photos seemed to be taunting her. She looked back to her cookbook and concentrated on her recipe.

The plan was to bake him something. There would be no naughty text messages, skimpy underwear or late night demands that he come over. She nodded determinedly to herself.

"Bake cookies at 350 degrees," she said aloud, absently fingering the pages of the book. A small voice nagged from the back of her mind, pointed out that Tsukasa hated sweets and that this wasn't the best method to show that she cared for him.

Tsukushi glanced at the magazine again and thought of her friends' words.

"_You and Tsukasa are always having strange miscommunications! And then you fight about it and we have to watch. I'm tired of watching, I always feel so frustrated," Shigeru declared. "For everyone's sake, it's time for you to try something different with him! No more confusion." Shigeru grabbed Tsukushi's hands and placed the magazine in them. "C'mon Tsukushi, just try something new!"_

Maybe she could try a draft of a text message. She could always erase it later.

Tsukushi reached for her cell phone. Pressing the buttons on her phone, she began to draft a short text message.

"Domyoji, you are sexy." She wrote and then erased quickly. That was too straightforward! She had never used the word "sexy" when talking to him; it didn't sound right at all.

"I've wanted your kisses all day…"

Tsukushi buried her face in her hands. It didn't matter if she wanted his kisses, she just couldn't say that.

It would be more like her to say, "You idiot, I like you."

But that wasn't romantic at all.

She closed her phone and looked at the magazine glumly.

Should she consider the sexy underwear? She could go buy some tomorrow…

Tsukushi looked longingly at her cookbook. If only she could use food to express what she wanted to say.

She suddenly remembered the advice "Greet him wearing only your apron" and blanched.. Again that would be too forward.

Maybe she could whisper sexy words in his ear when they embraced at the end of the date.

"_You feel so good, why don't you stay the night?"_

Tsukushi went from pale to blushing red.

But saying that was no different from the text message she had drafted and was even more embarrassing.

She felt like hitting him suddenly. Why couldn't he just realize her feelings? He was truly a blockheaded idiot.

She glowered at the magazine as she thought more accusatory thoughts, only to sigh again as she realized that she was right back where she started.

This was getting her nowhere. Tsukushi looked up at her clock and began putting things away.

6:00 pm

He was going to be here soon! Tsukushi dashed into her bedroom in a frantic hurry. She had to get ready or she would be late!

* * *

Tsukushi threw the door open as Tsukasa knocked for the 10th time.

"What the hell was taking so long?" Tsukasa exclaimed as he came into her apartment. He followed her as she ran back into her bedroom. As he made to enter her bedroom, Tsukushi suddenly shut the shoji door in his face. Standing outside her room and looking perturbed, Tsukasa said, "Hey, are you OK?"

Inside the room, Tsukushi quickly hid the magazine and other items she had been working on. Stuffing these things anywhere she could, she yelled.

"Nothing's wrong, just getting ready. I'll be ready soon!" she said loudly, trying to seem nonchalant.

On the other side of the door, Tsukasa frowned.

Going back into the kitchen, he sat down, glowered at some indistinct point on the wall and waited.

He loved Tsukushi so much, but sometimes…

Sometimes he couldn't understand what she was thinking and doing.

Running his fingers through his curly hair, Tsukasa sighed.

_Never mind_

He was used to her being evasive.

Tsukasa checked the time on his phone. The dinner reservation would be fine if they were late. The restaurant would wait for them. He was Domyoji Tsukasa after all.

Glancing back at the closed door to Tsukushi's bedroom, he smiled slightly.

_Crazy woman_

As much as Tsukushi pissed him off sometimes, he adored her. Sometimes, he couldn't believe how much.

She was like the air he breathed.

Whistling to himself as he thought about his, he then jumped and covered his smile with a frown as she appeared. As she tugged her jacket on, strands of hair bouncing out from her hastily fastened bun, Tsukasa grabbed her hand.

Savoring the warmth of her small fingers in his, he pulled her towards the door.

"C'mon stupid, time for our date."

* * *

Tsukushi fidgeted as they walked down the crowded walk. All she could think about was the plans she had tried to make earlier.

The text messages were still stored as drafts on her phone, the recipes still in earmarked in her cookbook. She had found several hair styles that were supposed to catch a guy's interest that she could try.

She had even tried on two types of perfume from samples she found in the pages of the magazine. As Tsukushi sniffed her wrist, she was thankful that she had rubbed the perfume off before their date. Thinking of the underwear ads in the magazine, Tsukushi inwardly groaned. The whole situation was too much, she needed time to figure it all out. Holding Tsukasa's hand, she leaned towards him unconsciously as they kept walking.

Surreptitiously looking up at his face, she thought.

"I do love him. Somehow I will find a way to make it clear to him." She unconsciously squeezed his fingertips, causing him to look down at her.

"W-where are we going now?" Tsukushi said quickly, before laughing nervously. Tsukasa gave her a quizzical look and replied.

"Makino, we are going to that restaurant that you wanted to try yesterday. You know, the one with the pizzas."

Tsukushi nodded. "Oh yeah! I heard they make real New York style pizza there. Do you think it is true? You've had New York pizza, haven't you?" She babbled.

Tsukasa opened his mouth to reply only to stop as Tsukushi continued.

"How big of a pizza should we get? I wonder if it will be American style." She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and said excitedly, "If it is, it will be big!" She anxiously gestured with her hands and as she did, accidentally hit Tsukasa on the shoulder. He leaned back and blinked at her.

Tsukushi panicked and wrung her hands a bit before covering up her gaffe with more nervous utterances.

"We are being too slow, let's get moving!" Tsukasa never got a chance to respond as Tsukushi grabbed his arm and he was suddenly pulled forward into a run. They tore down the street, a confused Tsukasa being led by a very anxious Tsukushi, who couldn't stop thinking about her dilemma.

"_Show your boyfriend you love him! Take charge!"_

* * *

_Take charge._

Those were famous last words, Tsukushi thought glumly as she sat stiffly across from Tsukasa and picked at her piece of pizza. She hadn't the slightest idea what to do now. Since arriving at the restaurant, they had just sat like stones. She had babbled for a while and he had answered but now…

They didn't speak, just continued eating. Tsukushi felt herself sinking into her seat. Why couldn't she express herself to him?

She gave him a sideways look. He looked so glum, eating his pizza in silence. The sinking feeling deepened, as Tsukushi watched him.

Did he think she didn't love him again? Tsukushi felt her eyes fill with tears of frustration.

But she did love him! She loved him as much as always. She set the pizza down and fisted her hands in the cloth napkin on her lap.

As he took another bite, she sunk further into her seat. Why couldn't she just act normal with him?

The advice from the magazine came to mind again.

"_Clear and honest communication, can be carried out in many ways! Try showing him that you love him."_

Tsukushi nodded to herself.

Show him…

She looked at her purse. But she hadn't brought any of the items that had been suggested. She had none of the cookies and sweets that she had tried to make. And it would be weird to send him a text message now that he was sitting in front of her.

As Tsukushi took a sip of her water, she absently thought that she could whisper to him over the dinner table.

_I want you now._

Tsukushi swallowed hard and set the glass down with an audible sound. She took another deep breath and fought the urge to run away.

She couldn't use that suggestion, it was too much. To lean over the table and say in _that _in a breathy voice…

Well she just couldn't do it! And if that mattered to him, well that was tough!

Tsukushi shook her fist under the table and looked down at an indistinct point, lost in her worried thoughts.

She couldn't say anything and didn't have any of the items that she could use to help her make the gesture she needed to make. Short of offering to feed him a piece of pizza, which he was already eating, she was out of ideas!

Looking away, Tsukushi wracked her brain, trying to remember something, _anything_ that might be useful in this situation.

* * *

Across the table, Tsukasa ate patiently as he watched Tsukushi acting strangely in front of him. Knowing that she was struggling with something and that the cause would eventually become apparent, he waited, also realized that if he pressed her for information, she would panic.

_Complicated woman_

Tsukasa thought with chagrin.

She was probably just worrying again about something unnecessary.

He chewed on his pizza thoughtfully.

She did look cute tonight.

His gaze wandered over the sweater under her jacket and her flounced skirt. As he watched her purse her lips in consternation, he felt the inexplicable urge to kiss her soft lips and hold her in his arms.

Thinking of this, he blushed and was grateful when she looked away, still lost in thought.

He wondered how they might get more time alone. The pizza place was interesting but not the best atmosphere for kissing. And knowing Tsukushi, she'd fight him tooth and nail if they weren't someplace private when he pulled her into his arms. Opening his phone, he texted the housekeeper who managed the guest house at his home. He would take Tsukushi there after she finished the last piece of pizza.

As Tsukushi continued to be lost in thought, Tsukasa called over a waiter to package the leftover pizza for her, knowing that she would want to eat the leftovers later. After summoning his driver who was waiting by the door, Tsukasa stood and reached out for Tsukushi.

* * *

Tsukushi jumped as Tsukasa grabbed her wrist. Instinctively she pulled her hand away and then inwardly berated herself.

_What the hell am I doing?_ she thought, as she cringed. When Tsukasa narrowed his eyes at her, she tried to cover her discomfort by laughing.

"Where do you want to go now?" she blurted out as she stood and took his hand. As Tsukasa looked down at her fingers, with an imperturbable look on his face, Tsukushi fidgeted again.

_Now is the time to say it! Invite him over for…_

_For…_

_What the hell is a nightcap anyway?_

_Agh, I don't even know what that is, why did the magazine say to offer that?_

_Could I replace the offer with cookies? And milk?_

She wracked her brain, trying to remember the current contents of her refrigerator.

_I haven't gone to the store yet…so I don't have milk._

_I do have miso soup. And natto._

_But he hates natto! And who invites someone over at night for natto?_

Panicking, Tsukushi began to hyperventilate a little.

_But the point of the invitation is to invite him to stay the night. So why don't I just do that?_

Gazing up at him, she blushed warmly. She did want him to stay the night, it was Friday after all.

On Fridays he usually spent the night, or she usually did, depending on the date and whose home they were closer to at the end of the night. .

Tsukushi blushed harder, anticipating the passionate moments that she was used to on nights like this.

_Ok, I'm going to do something to let him know! I can do this!_

Tsukasa met her gaze and said, "Do you want to…" his words trailed off as she interjected.

"It's late, perhaps I should go home."

Tsukushi froze as she realized what she had said.

_No!_

She had meant to say we, not I.

She gaped at Tsukasa's surprised expression.

_How can I fix this? _

"Uh…"

He continued to stare at her, a hurt look coming over his face. Tsukushi wanted to cry.

Nothing was going as she had planned.

_But I really want…_

She opened her mouth, shut it and then turned stiffly. Overwhelmed by the whole experience, she absently waved in his face and then exclaimed.

"I'll just catch the subway, since it's late!"

She bounded out the door as Tsukasa followed her in a daze.

_What the hell am I doing?_

* * *

"What the hell is she doing?"

Tsukasa muttered under his breath as he followed Tsukushi. As she darted between people in a panic, he gave her back a dark look.

_We usually spend these nights together._

"Moron, why are you panicking so much? How the hell am I supposed to understand what you are doing?" he said under his breath.

He shook his head and hurried after her.

"At least slow down and watch where you are going!"

He reached out and grabbed her hand, slowing her down as they crossed the busy street.

"Makino," Tsukasa wrapped an arm around her and sighed.

He wasn't sure what she was about but he knew from experience that he shouldn't worry too much.

_Crazy woman, I love you. _

He'd wait for her strange mood to pass as it always did. And if she really wanted to go home…

He guess he was alright with it.

"If you want to go home, ok, just walk slower you idiot. I'll take you to the subway station," Tsukasa said, feeling resigned. He pressed an affectionate kiss on her forehead.

_I'll miss you tonight though._

He was already missing her. As always, he wanted her so much.

* * *

As Tsukasa pressed a kiss on her forehead, Tsukushi felt even worse.

_But I don't want to go home alone…I want you to come with me!_

_But how can I tell you? It's too hard!_

She remembered the idea of unbuttoning her shirt and being provocative, and shivered.

_I can't do it! Seriously!_

And anyway, she was wearing a sweater.

Tsukushi shook her head to clear it. As the subway station came into view, she felt like crying again. Gripping the back of his jacket, she closed her eyes and wished that he could just read her mind.

_I love you and I want you to come over tonight. Or I want to go to your house. _

_I want you!_

It was so easy to think, so why couldn't she just say it out loud? Tsukushi tried to muster her courage once more.

She could do this, she could do it!

The bright lights of the subway station assaulted her eyes; they were now on stone floors rather than concrete. She instinctively pulled out her subway pass as they stopped in front of the entry gates. Tsukasa looked down at her and then shrugged off his coat.

"Stupid, call me when you get home," He said affectionately, a little longing creeping into his voice.

As he draped his coat over her shoulders, Tsukushi felt even worse.

_Tsukasa…_ her mind implored.

_Please understand!_

He bent and kissed her cheek, nuzzling her face lightly before turning and beginning to walk away. As he moved away from her, Tsukushi snapped.

"_When all else fails, you might need to be really aggressive!"_ the magazine had stated.

Upset with herself, frustrated with the situation and wanting him so badly, Tsukushi shot forward.

And did the only thing from the magazine that she could think of at the moment .

She hit him on the bottom.

Hard.

And as she did, she panicked even more, then abruptly turned tail and ran for it.

* * *

"OW! What the hell?" Tsukasa turned around to find an empty subway station and no trace of Tsukushi. He moved towards the subway turnstiles and looked down the corridor to where she would catch the subway.

Sure enough, his girlfriend was racing towards the nearest subway car, his coat and her scarf fluttering behind her. As she boarded the subway car, Tsukasa continued to stare in shock as he wondered.

_What in the world is she doing?_

* * *

To be continued…

-Maho-chan :) (3/21/2010)


	3. Chapter 3

AN: There is one English loanword that appears in this chapter. As usual, hope you enjoy! :D -Maho-chan

* * *

**A Simple Gesture**  
**A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction  
By Maho-chan  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_I'm home now! _

Tsukushi sent the text message and then buried her face in her pillow.

The feeling of his bottom against her hand came to mind and she screamed into the soft cushion.

It had gone all wrong. Sitting up, she rose and pulled the magazine from her desk drawer. Turning on the light, she began frantically reading. After a while she tugged a notebook out of her drawer and started making a list.

_Next time I won't make a mistake._

_Now let's just hope he's so stupid that he won't remember what I did!_

Tsukushi nodded to herself and began looking at the magazine for more ideas.

* * *

She wasn't returning his calls.

Tsukasa groaned and stared at the phone as he lay in bed. Tossing it onto the pillow next to him, he turned on his stomach and buried his face in his pillow.

_I don't understand her!_

What had she been trying to do? They had recently had that talk about being more open and honest.

So if they were trying to be more open and honest, what the hell was she doing?

He couldn't understand her at all.

Reaching out for his phone, he clutched it and then let it go again.

_UGH_

He hugged his pillow and kicked at his blankets in frustration.

_Makino you idiot!_

Now what was he supposed to do?

* * *

Tsukasa paced back and forth agitatedly, then yawned and blinked sleepy tears from his eyes.

He hadn't slept a wink last night. All he could think about was Tsukushi hitting him on the butt.

Why had she done that?

He paced to and fro as he scratched his head and muttered to himself.

"We ate dinner…I walked her to the subway. I kissed her nicely."

"So why?"

After a few more moments of pacing, Tsukasa gathered his resolve. He rushed to the closet to get dressed.

_Perhaps those guys will know what to do._

_Never mind that it was 5 am. _

Tsukasa thought as he tugged a shirt on.

If he had to wake Rui up, he'd do it!

On the way out he grabbed his phone and began dialing.

"Sojiro, meet me at Rui's. What? I don't care if you have a date with you, tell her to go home and meet me at Rui's!

"Akira, stop yawning into the phone. Get up! We are going to Rui's!"

* * *

Rui blinked sleepily as arguing ensued above his head. He buried his face in his pillow and sighed.

"Tsukasa, I was in the middle of being _busy_."

"So was I, I was entertaining the girl I met yesterday…"

Akira and Sojiro complained.

"Shut up! This is an emergency!" Tsukasa sank down to sitting on the bed and rubbed his forehead.

Rui opened his eyes.

"Who?" He glanced around then sighed and closed his eyes again. It was just them again.

Tsukasa glared at him then said. "It has to do with Makino."

Rui slowly opened his eyes again. He looked over at Tsukasa.

Sitting up, he yawned.

"So what happened?" Rui said calmly.

Tsukasa gave him a look of desperation. "She…she…" A furious blush crept up his neck and face.

"She…cooked you dinner last night and you said you didn't like beets, and she got mad?" Sojiro interjected helpfully as he leaned towards Tsukasa.

"She…forgot to give you a hug and it bummed you out?" Akira added.

"She…kicked you for following her to that job in the shopping arcade because you were jealous of her coworker?" Rui queried.

"No!" Tsukasa shouted in reply.

Sojiro rubbed his head. "But you've got to admit, their emergencies lately are usually something like this."

Akira laughed. "I know, huh!"

Rui smiled.

Tsukasa growled low in his throat.

"I mean, a real emergency would be that he forgot the protection." Sojiro teased.

"Or Tsukushi was too tired to do _it_!" Akira guffawed.

Akira and Sojiro turned to each other.

"Domyoji, I have a headache tonight." Akira said, batting his eyes.

"But Makino, you look so good tonight! Especially holding that soup ladle. You and soup ladles turn me on." Sojiro played along.

"Your words are melting my tiredness." Akira swooned.

"Kiss me, damn you." Sojiro said gruffly.

"Oh!" Akira cried out, leaning towards Sojiro.

Rui shook his head as Tsukasa lunged forward and gripped Akira's collar.

"Stop it, damn you…" He growled as he shook Akira and then glared at Sojiro who wouldn't stop laughing. Akira laughed and patted Tsukasa's shoulder.

"OK, we'll stop teasing you." Akira said playfully.

"So what happened?" Sojiro asked.

Tsukasa stuttered again. "She…"

As Tsukasa looked down and fidgeted, Rui became a little concerned.

"Tsukasa, what is it?"

Tsukasa raised his head and met their concerned gazes with a mournful gaze of his own.

"She…" They all leaned forward in anticipation.

"She…" He couldn't quite bring himself to say it.

"Yes?" They stared at him intently.

"She…" Sojiro began to look annoyed. Rui yawned.

"She slapped my butt!" Tsukasa finally blurted out.

There was a momentary pause before all three burst into laughter.

"Haha….that is what you wanted to tell us?" Akira asked between guffaws.

Rui lay back and laughed, avoiding where Tsukasa pounded the mattress in frustration.

"I'm so proud of you guys." Sojiro grinned. "So proud. Finally, some progress!

Tsukasa frowned and stared at them, perplexed by their amusement. "It isn't funny! This is a serious situation!" He blurted out as they continued to chuckle.

"But Tsukasa, isn't what she did a good thing?" Akira said slyly. "I love it when a girl does that. It _always_ leads to more." He included, as he grinned at Tsukasa.

"So where did _it_ happen?" Sojiro asked excitedly.

"In your bedroom or hers?" Akira added.

They both ducked as Tsukasa threw a punch at them.

"Idiots!" He growled, then frowned again. "It was at the subway station."

"The subway station?" Akira and Sojiro exclaimed in unison.

As their resounding cheers filled the room, Tsukasa shouted. "You perverts, it wasn't like that!"

And then proceeded to tell the whole mystifying tale.

Sojiro bit his lip to keep from laughing again. Akira hid his grin behind his hand. Rui smiled serenely.

There was another pregnant pause as Tsukasa waited for their analysis of the situation.

"Maybe it was a booty call." Rui stated.

Sojiro and Akira looked at Rui with surprise.

"RUI!" Sojiro said, laughing. "You took the words out of my mouth!"

"Hah? What the hell is that?" Tsukasa said confusedly.

Sojiro and Akira erupted into amused laughter again. Rui patted Tsukasa's arm and Tsukasa sat there in stunned and confused silence.

* * *

Feeling disconcerted, Tsukasa rummaged around in his closet, all the while processing the cryptic words "booty call". Remembering how Tsukushi had hit his butt and disappeared before he could turn around, Tsukasa frowned. What the hell was going on? Why had she hit his butt? And what was a booty call?

Tsukasa frowned even more. Wasn't booty something that pirates usually collected?

Did Tsukushi want him to dress like a pirate? Why would she want him to do that? And what did that have to do with his butt?

Pushing aside a few more boxes, Tsukasa found what he had been looking for. He opened the box before him and rummaged around. He pulled out the dating books that he had bought when he had first decided to ask Tsukushi out. Surely these books would be able to tell him the answer.

Half an hour later, Tsukasa was ready to tear his books apart in frustration. Not one of them gave any clues to Tsukushi's strange behavior. There were tips on how to buy flowers, what kinds of gifts to give and recommended pick up lines but no _explanations._ Why? Tsukasa wondered. He had bought the most popular and informative books on dating. What was he missing?

Throwing the book down and pacing the room, Tsukasa scratched his head as more ideas came to mind. Booty…pat on the butt…booty….pat…butt…call…

Tsukasa stopped and tore at his hair, then stomped on the offending books. He wanted to find an answer! NOW!

Glancing at the cover of another book, one not underfoot, Tsukasa's eyes widened. Staring at the woman on the cover, he had an idea. Maybe this butt patting thing was some kind of woman's secret! Some kind of code! He would win against this secret women's code. He was Domyoji Tsukasa after all! There was nothing he couldn't do!

Striding out of the room, he headed straight for Tsubaki's old room. Surely there would be some information in his Nee-chan's books, Tsukasa thought. Opening the closed curtains to let some light in, Tsukasa headed straight for the bookcases that held Tsubaki's books from when she was a teenager. There were textbooks and novels in English and French.

After a while, he realized there was nothing of help in Tsubaki's room. He threw the book in his hands on the floor and stomped out the door.

_Agh, stupid Makino!_

As he stomped down the hall, Tsukasa glared at the maid who passed him carefully, all the while cowering towards the opposite side of the hallway. The maid let out a sigh of relief as she passed Tsukasa, only to jump as he said in a low, threatening voice.

"Hey you."

She turned and tried not to back away from him as he approached.

"You are a girl." He said.

She nodded fearfully.

"The other maids are girls."

She nodded again.

"You read books."

More frightened nodding.

"THAT'S IT!" Tsukasa shook a fist at her as she winced.

"You, get the maids together and bring me ALL the books you have! Make sure to get Tama's books and the cook's books too. And bring them to me in one hour!" He barked before striding away to go wait in his room.

Reaching his room, he sat down on the floor amongst his discarded books. He frowned and crossed his arms as he waited expectantly.

* * *

Man, cookbooks were boring.

So were historical romances.

Tsukasa groaned as he set those aside after having tried to read them. Tama was boring as usual. And the cook was too.

He picked up some women's magazines and flipped through them. After a while, the ruffled fashions began to annoy him and he threw those aside as well. He reached into the huge pile of books before him and pulled out a few brightly colored volumes.

They were manga. Tsukasa tilted his head as he read the titles.

Love revolution! Get Happy! Boy + Girl! Heart Pounding Romance!

Tsukasa thought to put the manga volumes back, but then thought better of it, and pulled out the entire lot. There might be a clue here.

* * *

Two hours later, Tsukasa emerged from the room, his eyes very wide. That had been…

_Educational._

Staggering down the hall to his room, Tsukasa stared blankly as a servant greeted him and told him his dinner was ready. Following the man, barely seeing what was in front of him, Tsukasa instead recalled what he found in that pile of manga.

In those manga volumes, and here Tsukasa covered his mouth and blushed, were couples making out. Sure there had been the normal romance, but there had also been the kind with people doing _it_.

As he sat down to dinner, Tsukasa mulled over what he had seen. The manga were a little racy. But that wasn't the disturbing part. The disturbing part was that they were filled with very effeminate looking men, all of whom had hair that fell over their eyes and were always spouting crap like "I can only see you" and "I'll make your dreams come true." These same effeminate guys were always taking off their shirts whenever they felt like it, usually precluding grabbing the girl and before they did it at school, the park, almost anywhere.

Did Tsukushi read those manga? Did she secretly wish _he _did those things? He had curly hair and none of the manga characters he had seen had curly hair. He had tried again and again to get his hair straight outside of the shower but it never worked. Was this what Tsukushi was secretly trying to tell him she wanted?

And he always made _sure_ he kept his shirt on around her, only taking it off when things got serious, because whenever he got a little too free with removing his clothing, Tsukushi always got embarrassed and a little mad. He had no idea why she resisted taking a simple nap with him when his shirt was off, but she did!

But maybe Tsukushi had changed her mind. Would she like it if he spouted flowery words and his hair covered his eyes as he took off his shirt? Did she want him to take off his shirt often and so they could do it anywhere?

Feeling woefully unsettled, Tsukasa realized that not one of those books even showed a girl going after a guy and touching his butt. And none of them mentioned a booty call, although there had been a lot of "tutoring", "studying" and "playing".

Tsukasa stared morosely at his food. He felt out of control and confused.

The whole situation spelled big trouble.

* * *

Sojiro and Akira wandered into Rui's room to find him half asleep and almost buried in a pile of manga. Rui glanced over at them and smiled serenely.

Tsukasa towered over Rui and growled.

"Rui, answer me!"

As they approached, Rui bit his lip but couldn't resist laughing quietly.

Tsukasa pulled a book from the pile and angrily waved it in Rui's face.

"What the hell is a booty call? These didn't tell me anything!"

Sojiro and Akira frowned as they inspected the cover.

"Kisses Not Cakes?" Akira said curiously.

Sojiro peered at the titles in the pile of books on Rui's lap.

"Heart Pounding Melody of Love?" Sojiro asked as he bit back a laugh.

Rui looked up at them and wryly offered.

"Magic Bouquet of Romance."

As they all burst into laughter, Tsukasa stomped his foot.

"You idiots, help me!"

Akira doubled over with laughter as Rui chuckled and began carefully piling the books on the table next to his bed.

Sojiro held his sides as he guffawed. Tsukasa's face darkened. After a few more mirthful moments, Sojiro composed himself enough to say.

"But Tsukasa, why are you looking at a bunch of girl's manga?"

"Oh ho, Flower Romance; Girl's Night Out! This is a good one." Akira interjected, causing a fresh wave of chuckles.

Tsukasa ignored them as he drop kicked one of the books. As it slid under Rui's bed and out of sight, he said dejectedly.

"I couldn't find the definition of 'booty call' anywhere!"

As Tsukasa kicked another book, Sojiro took a deep breath and concentrated on his friends distress.

"That's because it's English you idiot. English." Sojiro said. Tsukasa looked at him imploringly then replied.

"So tell me what it means then!" He grabbed Sojiro's collar and shook him. Akira stepped forward and finally explained.

"Tsukasa, a booty call is a call to do _it_!"

Tsukasa froze.

"You know what he means right?" Akira added.

Tsukasa swallowed.

"Sekkusu." Rui declared.

Tsukasa dropped Sojiro to the ground as he blushed crimson. Rui, Sojiro and Akira grinned at him with pride.

"I'm so proud!" Akira said as he threw and arm over Tsukasa's shoulder.

"Makino's really growing up." Sojiro teased happily.

Rui shook his head as Tsukasa shouted and tackled Sojiro again.

* * *

Tsukushi bit her lip as she stomped through the department store, her shopping bags gripped tightly in her hands. She had bought many of the things the magazine had suggested and as much as she could afford.

There was only one more item left to buy.

As she neared the racks, she eyed the brightly colored fabrics and tried to marshal her courage. She was a weed after all! There was no reason to be scared of buying underwear. No reason at all.

She heard someone cough and she jumped. She was further startled as a store clerk asked "Do you need help with anything?"

"Uh…" Tsukushi stared at the clerk like a deer in headlights. She glanced at the underwear in front of her and hastily plucked one from the rack. She barely looked at it, just shoved it at the clerk and muttered her size.

The clerk gave her an odd look but nodded and went to fetch her request. Deciding that that was enough for today, Tsukushi ran to the counter and hastily bought the brightly colored satin and lace, her mind in a daze.

* * *

_To be continued…_

_-Maho-chan ;) (5/23/2011)_


End file.
